The present invention relates to a method of identifying compounds suitable for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of obesity. The invention further relates to the use of compounds which are capable of inhibiting de novo lipogenesis in mammals, and which are substantially free of effects directed towards the central nervous system (=CNS), for the preparation of drugs for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of obesity.
Today, especially in the developed industrial nations, obesity is an increasingly serious problem for the health of the population, being caused predominantly by unbalanced and excessively high-fat nutrition. The increase in the percentage of overweight people in the population is being accompanied by an increase in the consequences of obesity, which range from personal discontentment to cardiovascular disease or certain forms of diabetes. There are therefore already a number of therapeutic procedures aimed at the treatment or prophylaxis of obesity. One example which may be mentioned is lipase-inhibitory compounds, which reduce lipolysis in the intestinal tract and thereby cut down the energy yield from the food intake. Thus, in this therapeutic procedure, at least part of the alimentary fats is excreted undecomposed. It is however desirable to have other novel therapeutic procedures for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of obesity which can complement the previously known forms of therapy.